How Antalya became the new Dubai

Turkey's coast used to be known for cheap package holidays, but in the past few years a swath of super-luxury hotels has transformed it into a millionaire's haven. Six-starred, super-sized and sexy, here is a selection of the best and bling-est.

Adam and Eve

USP: the world's sexiest hotel

Stats: opened in 2006, 464 rooms, seven pools, eight restaurants

Highlights: launch reports marvelled that the hotel had more mirrors than had been produced in the whole of Turkey in the preceding two years. Many are on the bedroom ceilings, naturally, and there are free condoms in the bathrooms. Should you tear yourself away from your boudoir, the hotel also boasts the world's largest indoor swimming pool. Interiors are gleaming white, and all guests are assigned their own personal "angel" to arrange all aspects of their stay.

Rixos Premium Hotel

USP: Europe's first seven-star hotel

Stats: opened in 2005, 640 rooms, 12 restaurants

Highlights: the Rixos has 10 tennis courts, 160 designer shops, and a dolphinarium featuring a walrus that sings karaoke. But the highlight is French Street, an indoor recreation of a continental thoroughfare, with a daily artificial thunderstorm.

Kremlin Palace

USP: lifesize recreations of Moscow's most famous buildings

Stats: opened in 2003, 837 rooms, seven restaurants

Highlights: the resort includes recreations of the Bolshoi Theatre, St Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin. You enter through a replica of the Voskresenkiye Gates. According to many reviewers the inside doesn't quite live up to the promise, though. Ironically, it has fewer Russian guests than the other hotels.

Marmara Antalya

USP: the world's first revolving hotel

Stats: opened in 2005, 232 rooms, four restaurants

Highlights: the 24-room revolving loft wing turns 360 degrees every seven hours; fantastic when you're overlooking the sea, not so great when you're staring into bedrooms. Guests can canoe down a man-made river with adjustable speed and flow.

Hillside Su

USP: Turkey's first design hotel

Stats: opened in 2003, 294 rooms, six restaurants

Highlights: the 9½ Weeks suite has private lift and terrace, your own bar, an orange pool table and remote-controlled everything. For those not on a penthouse budget, film screenings on the beach nudge up the romance factor.